Police arrested three suspected drug traffickers after seizing a stash of cannabis hidden inside a coffin.
The haul was uncovered during routine roadside checks.
At km 190 of Chile’s Carretera Austral, near the town of Santa Bárbara, officers stopped a lorry travelling from Chaitén to the Caleta Gonzalo ferry terminal.
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When they checked the documents of the 41-year-old Chilean driver, they discovered he was not licensed to drive heavy goods vehicles.
A background check then revealed he had an outstanding arrest warrant for drug trafficking issued by a court in Los Vilos.
Officers questioned him about the cargo and inspected the load compartment.
When they swung open the doors, they found 23 coffins stacked inside – and were immediately hit by the pungent smell of cannabis.
The coffins were unloaded and examined one by one, as reported by Need To Know.
Inside one of them, officers discovered four packages of drugs wrapped in black plastic.
In total, 4.23kg (9lb 5oz) of cannabis was seized – the equivalent of 8,460 doses – with an estimated street value of more than 42m CLP (£36,032).
The driver and his two passengers, Chilean men aged 36 and 40 who had no previous convictions, were arrested at the scene.
All three appeared before a court on Wednesday (25 Feb), where they were formally charged with drug trafficking.
They were remanded in custody pending further proceedings.
The government’s provincial delegate for Palena, Marisol Mora, said: “I want to highlight the work of Carabineros for carrying out a thorough job in opening the cargo and checking what was inside the coffins.”
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